Category: County Jails|Custodial Death

On Monday, November 27, 2017, a former nurse at a jail in Texarkana, Texas, pled guilty to misdemeanor negligent homicide in the custodial death of 20-year-old Morgan Angerbauer, who was a prisoner at the Texarkana jail. According to court records, Angerbauer asked the nurse to check her blood sugar, but the nurse allegedly refused. She allegedly said that members of the jail staff were the ones to decide when medical attention was needed. Early the following morning, Angerbauer was discovered unconscious in her cell.

A police affidavit says the nurse said that she was fully aware that Angerbauer’s diabetic situation was severe. Still, she refused to provide treatment and told her that wasn’t how things work. She allegedly said that Angerbauer missed her medical call and would have to wait for the next one.

According to one jail staff member, after Angerbauer was discovered unconscious, the nurse was told to immediately call for emergency services but refused to for more than 30 minutes. When paramedics finally arrived, Angerbauer was dead. The prisoner’s mother claims that she had been lying on the floor of the cell in her own vomit without a blanket and was refused treatment, resulting in her death.

An autopsy was done, and it showed that diabetic ketoacidosis was the cause of death. Diabetic ketoacidosis is a condition that occurs when blood sugar reaches severely high levels.

The nurse had said that she was willing to plead no contest to negligent homicide. The judge in the case refused to accept any plea other than guilty.

It is expected that the former nurse will serve approximately three months in jail. According to Texas Nursing Board records, the woman’s nursing license has been suspended.

As with every post on this website, we are only providing information in this post and do not make any allegation or assertion that anyone acted inappropriately or engaged in misconduct.

–Guest Contributor

In Coryell County Jail in Gatesville, Texas, Kelli Leanne Page, a 46-year-old female inmate, died on Sunday morning, October 8, 2017. She reportedly “slipped out of consciousness” after a scuffle with two jailers. The two jailers who were allegedly involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave. In the meantime, there is an investigation into the incident being conducted by the Texas Rangers F Company.

According to Mark Wilcox, Coryell County Chief Deputy, at about 8:35 a.m. on Sunday, jailers responded to Page’s cell because she had been banging and beating on her door. The jailers first tried to subdue Page verbally. When this was unsuccessful, a standard-issue pepper spray was used on Page. This reportedly failed to stop her commotion.

The jailers then entered the cell, after which an altercation immediately began. Authorities say Page managed to secure a pair of handcuffs from a jailer. One of the jailers suffered non-life threatening injuries during the altercation. Page lost consciousness after being restrained.

The jailers tried to give Page CPR. This was continued by the county emergency medical services a short time later, but the effort was unsuccessful. Coryell County Justice of the Peace Coy Latham pronounced Page dead. Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas will perform an autopsy.

The jailer who was injured received medical attention at Coryell Memorial Hospital and was later released.

This is the second time an inmate has died in a correctional facility in Coryell County this year, the first being the custodial death of Shana Tedder, who died following an altercation with a fellow inmate at Crain Unit, a female prison.

As with every post on this website, we are only providing information in this post and do not make any allegation or assertion that anyone acted inappropriately or engaged in misconduct.

–Guest Contributor

In news out of California this week, many have been shocked and appalled to learn about what allegedly happened to Andrew Holland in San Luis Obispo County Jail in January 2017. Holland was allegedly shackled by his arms and legs for 46 hours, naked with the exception of a mask and helmet over his face and a blanket that was on his lap but slipped off. Holland was in a cell with a glass front and was exposed to jail staff passing by during the entire episode. He got little to nothing to eat or drink and had to sit in his own filth. Allegedly, guards dumped Holland on the floor of a cell after finally unbinding him. He allegedly died within a 40-minute period because he stopped breathing. The county settled with the family for a record $5 million.

A great deal of social outrage has been directed at Central Coast County in California for the January 22, 2017, death of Holland. Holland suffered from schizophrenia. The issue of mental health problems among people who are admitted in county jails across the country is one that more and more counties are addressing. In Texas, the tragic death of Sandra Bland in Waller County Jail has resulted in laws referred to as the Sandra Bland Act. The primary focus of the new legislation is about mental health, but family members of Bland and thousands of activists claim that it is more an issue of racial profiling against African Americans.

As with every post on this website, we are only providing information in this post and do not make any allegation or assertion that anyone acted inappropriately or engaged in misconduct.

–Guest Contributor

Waller County Jail in Texas has become recognized worldwide as the place where Sandra Bland committed suicide in her cell after a controversial arrest. The death of Bland stands out as a significant turning point in the social movement to put an end to alleged racial police violence. The same jail has a record that continues to stir up negative controversy, and yet it has been approved by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to take part in immigrant deportation. An agreement has been reached between Waller County and ICE to deputize two sheriffs for the immigration enforcement program 287(g). The highly controversial program gives deputies authorization to arrest and detain individuals based on their immigration status.

Waller County is now part of an aggressive immigration strategy being implemented by President Donald Trump. At least 25 other local police agencies have just been enlisted to enforce federal laws. Sources in opposition to these activities express their concern that ICE doesn’t seem to care about questionable track records among the individual law enforcement agencies they work with.

For instance, in addition to Bland’s death in 2015, other flags have been raised at Waller County Jail. In March 2017, a female prisoner was allegedly sexually assaulted by a male inmate who had been allowed to perform cleaning duties in the jail. County officials said there had not been authorization for him to engage in the cleaning work.

An inspection of the jail after that incident found the jail staff non-compliant in at least three separate areas. These violations included allowing male and female inmates in the same area without direct supervision.

ICE formally approved Waller County’s application to join the 287(g) initiative, even though the approval came within days of the assault allegations and a failed inspection.

As with every post on this website, we are only providing information in this post and do not make any allegation or assertion that anyone acted inappropriately or engaged in misconduct.

–Guest Contributor

On Sunday, July 9, 2017, Forty-three-year-old Eloy Villanueva was discovered dead in his cell at Travis County Jail at about noon. Within an hour, he was pronounced dead. Villanueva was arrested the previous day on public intoxication and obstruction charges. His death is being investigated by the Texas Rangers and detectives with the sheriff’s department. Back in April 2017, Villanueva had allegedly struck a police horse in the face.

With regard to Villanueva’s arrest in April, an affidavit showed that mounted police officers saw him stumbling around at about 10 pm on Fifth Street. They approached him, and discovered that he could hardly stand and was badly slurring his words. Authorities summoned medical crews, and the man collapsed in the meantime.

According to police officers, Villanueva suddenly got up after several minutes. He started petting a police horse named Moonshine. He suddenly and with no warning pulled back and punched the horse in the face, the affidavit alleges.

Jail records indicate that on July 5, Villanueva made a negotiated plea agreement for attempted interference with a service animal. He was released on time served after being sentenced to 90 days in jail.

The latest charge Villanueva was arrested for was unrelated to the incident in April.

Two people have now died in custody at Travis County Jail this year, the first being 21-year-old Herman Titus, who died on June 19. According to authorities, he had been jailed on charges of parole violation and intoxication assault since May 23.

As with every post on this website, we are only providing information in this post and do not make any allegation or assertion that anyone acted inappropriately or engaged in misconduct.

–Guest Contributor